Yew break-help figuring out why.

[hunterbob]

That's what I think happened to.  That it was sawn not split and the one end didn't run the grain. And I also think with one tip pointing one way and the other limb pointing opposite and causing a twisting torque.  I don't know just a thought.
I do know it shot great.

[lebhuntfish]

Thanks for all of the replies. Sometimes when things are pointed out to you by someone else they show up clearly. I understand what Pearl is saying. That is something I would have not thought about had it not been pointed out.

II'm with Bob though, it shot great! Thanks again, Patrick.

[bambule]

It looks like the classical "Yew break" - I had the same on an yew bow last year and I couldn't figure out why.
Yew is a pussy and breaks sometimes without any reason. Maybe too dry or a delamination in the wood or a dark spot or or or...
This five-peice-breakup is a yew traditionell :-)

Sorry for the nice bow

Greetz
Cord

[Pappy]

That's to bad, it was a nice looking bow. I had one break with no real explanation and have had others I figured no way it could hold together and are still shooting, I will say it is quite exciting when they blow, they break with authority. 
 Pappy

[PEARL DRUMS]

It does look like the lateral grain goes diagonally across that limb which is what PD was saying. Yes, it is a tough read. That'll do it on most woods with the possible exception of hickory. Good eye, PD. Jawge

You could say I've broke a few Jawgey Poo

[George Tsoukalas]

I've broken my share too, PD. At least on here we get to dissect the breaks of others.
Jawge

[Blacktail]

and that is the nature of the beast..i have seen this before..in fact a couple of times..i once had one that blew when it had just a tiny pin knot inside the limb...that i couldnt see..i know for a fact that sawing has no effect on the way the bow comes out...i think the worse thing you could do is hand split the wood...it does alot of tearing of the fibers..

[PatM]

   
   I know for a fact that sawing has no effect on the way the bow comes out.

Really?

[bradsmith2010]

never mind

[Badger]

and that is the nature of the beast..i have seen this before..in fact a couple of times..i once had one that blew when it had just a tiny pin knot inside the limb...that i couldnt see..i know for a fact that sawing has no effect on the way the bow comes out...i think the worse thing you could do is hand split the wood...it does alot of tearing of the fibers..

  You may want to go back to bow makers school and take a refresher course. Splitting the wood helps to assure you stay aligned with the grain. Sawing doesn't care where the grain is.

[loefflerchuck]

What Pearl says. Most yew is cut with a bandsaw. If this was spit by hand I bet it would be a corkscrew.

[Blacktail]

SORRY THERE STEVE,I  didnt mean to offend you...that is the way i learned from keenan howard..

[bradsmith2010]

I think, sometimes people forget there was a time when bows were made without a band saw,,I am guessing more bows made in those thousands of years by splitting, than have been cut out with a saw,, I use a band saw when I want to,,, but I can split a good bow out as well,, and actually prefer that at times,,, but I am old and set in my ways,, and the band saw is a little to modern for me

[Carson (CMB)]

Combination of punky wood and grain run off. Like Pearly first pointed out, there is some significant degree of run-out. A striaght stave cut out of a twisted tree. Now this usually isn't a problem with yew. The oldtimers past here in Oregon used to say that complete runoff from one side of the limb to another is ok as long as it occurs over a span of 12" or more. I have always figured that was referring to an average weight yew bow in a flatbow design.

Some of the wood within the break appears punky to me. Some of the heartwood has that tiny blocky structure within the break (The 7th Picture from the top). That dark line that DC pointed out seems to be the source of some rot.

Like Chris said, yew can be finicky. If someone said they were going to give me some random stave of unknown quality and character that I would have to make a bow to provide food with, and I got to choose what wood species, then I would choose Osage. If someone was going to let me pick from a dozen staves ranging in quality and character, but of all the same species, to make the finest bow I could make, then I would choose yew.

[Badger]

  Blacktail, most of the time you can saw out yew with no issues, but if a stave is twisted it will be somewhat compromised from the git go.